The Cleveland Curse is too much for even ‘King James’

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Twitter nearly broke down Friday afternoon in the minutes immediately following The Decision 2.0.

People all around the world voiced their opinion about LeBron James’ decision to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers four years after becoming Public Enemy No. 1 in Cleveland when he took his talents to South Beach and joined the Miami Heat.

As a sports fan, especially one who takes a sadistic joy in watching the fans of Cleveland sports suffer, I smiled wide.

LeBron is going back ‘home’ to try and win a championship for a city that’s suffered greatly over the past 50 years. But c’mon, I know the guy is nicknamed “King James,” but you can’t possibly expect him to wield more power than the sports gods.

Yes Cleveland fans, you more than just about any other city’s fans out there know, these higher powers exist and they for some reason or another are set on making your life miserable. Do you really think that LeBron returns and everything bad that’s ever happened athletically to the city since a Cleveland pro team last won a championship (1964 Browns) will instantly disappear?

The sports gods have an agenda, enacted a curse and unfortunately for all of you who pledge allegiance to the Browns, Indians and Cavs are doomed to suffer the consequences.

You are a passionate collection of sports fanatics and definitely deserve better than what you’ve gotten over the last 50 years, but do you think a talented basketball player from Akron can crack the Cleveland championship code?

Need I remind you of the heartbreak over the years? There was “The Fumble,” the mysterious fumble by Ernest Byner in the closing minutes of the ’88 AFC Championship game against the Denver Broncos. The Browns appeared to be on their way to tying the game and sending the win-and-go-to-the Super Bowl contest into overtime, when the ball inexplicably fell out of his hands and was recovered by the Broncos.

The year before it was “The Drive,” the game where John Elway led those same Broncos on a late game-winning 98-yard drive, in the AFC Championship game to defeat a stunned Browns team in the Dawg Pound. Cleveland fans write this loss off on the greatness that was Elway, but I’m telling you it was the sports gods doing their thing.

On that infamous final drive, a Broncos wide receiver goes in motion on 3rd-and-18 with about 1:30 to play and the ball is snapped early and ricochets off of him and right into Elway’s hands. The Hall of Fame quarterback catches the carom and throws for a first down.

There’s a lot more than simple luck working there, someone or shall I say something else is in control. Surely I don’t need to go any further, but then again I already said I take pleasure in Cleveland’s failures so I will.

Raise your hand if you remember Michael Jordan knocking down the game-winner over the Cavs during the 1989 playoffs in what is now known as “The Shot.” How many you stayed up late during game seven of the 1997 World Series thinking this is finally it, only to have Edgar Renteria deliver an extra-inning hit that ended the Indians hopes of a Series title? There’s a name for that one in the City on the Lake Erie…“The Hit.”

There’s a Cleveland sports curse and it’s very real and you can blame the sports gods for your heartache.

Do you crazy Cleveland fans who publicly burned LeBron jersey’s in the streets really want him back? He ripped out your hearts, stomped on them and went and partied on South Beach. He won a couple championships and now he’s comes back wanting to win a title for you. Where was this attitude four years ago?

It’s like if you had a girlfriend that left you for a more popular, better looking guy. She goes and has her fun, sees the world and then decides she wants to settle down at home and finally gives you a call four years later. Would you take her back?

Cavalier fans seem like they’re welcoming LeBron back with open arms. I wouldn’t, but then again my sports teams aren’t cursed.

Chris Miles can be reached at (740) 852-1616, ext. 1618 or via Twitter @MadPressSports.

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